


The Burden of Consciousness

by DarthTella



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Loss of Conciousness, Ten/Rose - Freeform, concussion, doctor who - Freeform, fluffy fluff, written for a tumblr promt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-25
Updated: 2018-08-25
Packaged: 2019-07-02 04:13:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15788736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarthTella/pseuds/DarthTella
Summary: The Doctor gets knocked out cold, and Rose needs to tend to him.





	The Burden of Consciousness

He felt like he was floating. Thoughts and images sifted through his mind, but he paid them no mind. This was a peaceful place, even if it was a bit dark.

Oh, who needs lights anyway? Much more relaxing in the dark.

He felt something bush through his hair. Over and over again he felt it. Fingers sifting through the dark strands, nails lightly grazing his scalp. He focused on the sensation as it started around the top of his forehead to just about his crown.

The feeling was accompanied by a sound. A voice? If it was a voice it was certainly the most beautiful one he’d ever heard. He tried to listen to what it was saying, but he was too tired.

Sleep. That’s what he needed. Part of him felt like he never wanted to be awake again.

He tried drifting some more. But the voice seemed to get louder, and it was beginning to be joined with other sounds. An annoying and incessant double beep that seemed to be going in time to his heart beats.

He focused once more on the feel of the fingers through his hair as it quickly became one of the more comforting sensations he was feeling just now. His head was beginning to ache, and he was becoming more aware of a pain across his chest.

He heard a moan. It was a completely different voice. More masculine, and much closer. Wait? Did he just make that sound?

Another moan.

Yes, that was him. God, can he just shut up so he can go back to drifting?

“Doctor?” There was that voice again. So familiar, and so lovely. There was a name attached to that voice, he just knew it.

“Rose...?” Yes, that was her name, the owner of that beautiful voice. How did she manage to get a voice that gorgeous while his sounded so terrible? Like gravel through a... thing. His brain was in no mood to do metaphors just now.

The fingers that were sifting through his hair stopped their movements, and he then felt them brush against his cheek.

“Doctor, please... open your eyes. Please?” Rose sounded so sad, so desperate. He didn’t want her to sound like that. Her voice would sound more beautiful if it were happy. He found himself obeying, or at least he tried to. The outside world was so bright, but squeezing his eyes shut almost felt worse! He sensed the lights dimming slightly and he tried again.

The world was blurry, and he saw a large pink and yellow blur off to his side. He tried focusing on it, but the strain of it caused his eyes to slip closed again. He took a deep breath and tried again. The pink and yellow blur was more in focus this time. He blinked again, and it fully resolved into a person he trusted completely. He reached his hand towards her instinctively, and she grabbed it almost desperately.

“Rose?” He realised he was saying her name as if it were a question. Why was his brain trying to figure things out? Why did he need to know everything? Why couldn’t he just be happy in Rose’s presence? He always seemed happiest there. That much he could remember.

“Oh, Doctor. You’ve been unconscious for hours. The TARDIS helped me get you in here. She told me what to do to help you.”

He looked around a bit more, and found that just moving his eyes felt marginally less painful than moving his whole head as a throbbing pain in the back of his skull was making itself known. But indeed, he was back in the TARDIS. His home. Even though this looked more like the med bay than his bedroom.

Wasn’t he somewhere else before? A planet? A forest? The last thing he remembered was a large towering figure. The searing pain of claws digging into his chest before he was flung into the air! Rose’s terrified scream. That was the most terrible thing of all.

Then... nothing.

He gripped Rose’s hand tighter and looked back over her way. She looked a bit tired and bedraggled, but otherwise unharmed.

“Were you hurt?” He heard himself ask. She shook her head.

“No, I’m okay.” He let out a sigh of relief. If anything had happened to her he would not be held accountable for his actions. “The creature... after attacking you it just ran off. I think we may have just scared it when we landed. But it got a good swipe in on you first.” She explained. She reached out with her other hand and smoothed it over his chest. He looked down at himself, his eyes widening. He was bare from the waist up! Bandages were neatly taped down to his skin, and he could see hints of dried blood on them.

Superficial wounds. They’d heal quickly. Wouldn’t even leave any scars. His head was another matter. Slight concussion, and there he went analyzing things again! Rest was all he needed, and looking at Rose she desperately needed it too.

“Sorry, your clothes didn’t exactly survive. I’ll get you another tie.” He heard the hint of laughter in her voice and couldn’t help but smile up at her.

“That’s okay. There’s hundreds more in the wardrobe.” He brushed his thumb over her knuckles, felt her pulse quicken slightly at the movement. He did it again.

“But it was my favourite.” She sighed. His smile widened. That’s why he chose it.

His eyes began to close again fatigue hitting him like a freight train. Well, looks like metaphors are back at least!

“Doctor!” She called out to him again. He cracked his eyes open slightly and smiled at her.

“I’m alright. I just need some rest.” He let go of her hand and cupped her cheek. He had to keep his breath from hitching when she nuzzled into his touch and couldn’t be bothered to stop his thumb from brushing over her cheekbone. “And so do you.”

“Don’t wanna leave you.” She protested. He wanted to argue that she would be more comfortable in her own bed, and he would be fine on his own.

But the truth of it was, he didn’t want to be alone either. Was that selfish? He didn’t seem to care at this moment.

“C’mere.” He sighed, trying to shift himself over a bit to give her some room. She blinked at him.

“Won’t I hurt you?” He shook his head, and instantly regretted it. That creature really got it’s licks in.

“Please?” He asked softly and decided to just tell her the truth. “I don’t think either of us want to be alone right now.” Rose seemed to mull it over for a moment before she nodded and carefully climbed into the bed next to him. He tucked her into his side, ignoring every single protest his body was making. The pain was only temporary, and worth it if it meant Rose could get some well earned rest.

“Thank you.” He mumbled into her hair after a long moment of just holding her. His hand had drifted up almost on it’s own accord and had begun to comb through her silky blonde locks. His eyes fluttered closed when he felt her press a kiss to his jaw. He craned his neck just far enough to kiss the crown of her head.

She muttered her reply, but the Doctor had already drifted back to sleep.


End file.
